Meta and Snap Face Trial Over Youth Mental Health
Meta Platforms and Snap Inc. begin a bellwether trial in Los Angeles over allegations that addictive platform features caused teenage depression and anxiety.
Two teenage plaintiffs from Mississippi and Illinois are suing Meta Platforms and Snap Inc. in a bellwether trial beginning Wednesday in Los Angeles. The plaintiffs allege that addictive design features, including infinite scroll and autoplay, caused them to develop eating disorders, anxiety, and depression.
The legal action includes claims against Meta by the Mississippi plaintiff and claims against Snap by both individuals. This marks only the second trial of its kind involving individual plaintiffs, following a March case that resulted in a $6 million damages award against Meta and YouTube. The outcome is expected to influence the resolution of thousands of consolidated lawsuits regarding the impact of social media on young people.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri, and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel are expected to testify. Both companies deny the allegations, arguing that they have implemented necessary safeguards. Meta maintains that youth mental health is shaped by many factors, while Snap asserts that the allegations misrepresent how its platform was designed.
